{{Short description|American actress (1917–2015)}} {{Use American English|date=July 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Elaine Riley | image = Elaine Riley.jpg | caption = Elaine Riley pinup photo, 1944 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|1917|1|15}} | birth_place = East Liverpool, Ohio, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2015|12|7|1917|1|15|mf=yes}} | death_place = | occupation = Film actress | years_active = 1943–1960 | spouse = Richard Martin (1946-1994) (his death)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12076279/Elaine-Riley-actress-obituary.html|title=Elaine Riley, actress - obituary}}</ref> }}
'''Elaine Riley''' (January 15, 1917 – December 7, 2015) was an American film and television actress.
==Early years== The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A.B. Riley,<ref>{{cite news|title=Elaine Riley Co-Stars With 'Gildersleeve' In New Comedy By RKO|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2853430/the_evening_review/|agency=The Evening Review|date=April 15, 1944|page=6|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = July 21, 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref> Riley was born in East Liverpool, Ohio, on January 15, 1917. She won the Miss East Liverpool beauty title and was runner-up for the Miss Ohio title in 1937.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cleveland Girl is 'Miss Ohio'|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2853150/the_evening_independent/|agency=The Evening Independent|date=August 26, 1937|page=1|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = July 21, 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref> Riley also was a graduate of the Traphagen School of Fashion,<ref name=bc/> and was a model for ''Powers and Hattie Carnegie'' model in New York at the age of 18.
Using the name Elaine Gray, Riley sang with a dance-music orchestra in several cities, including Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.<ref>{{cite news|title=Around Our Town|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2853181/the_evening_review/|agency=The Evening Review|date=December 27, 1940|page=7|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = July 21, 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref>
==Film== Riley entered Hollywood in 1943 as an extra for RKO Pictures, debuting in ''Higher and Higher''. She left her job as secretary to the managing director of WINS radio in New York City to pursue her career in movies.<ref name=bc>{{cite news|title=Head-Turning (photo caption) |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/43-OCR/1943-06-21-BC-OCR-Page-0022.pdf |access-date=July 21, 2015 |agency=Broadcasting |date=June 21, 1943 |page=22 }}</ref>
In 1946, she signed with Paramount Pictures, where she became a recurring leading lady for Hopalong Cassidy. She worked with stars such as William Boyd, Charles Laughton, Tim Holt and Gene Autry.<ref name="Riley">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z-3Yo-60tWEC&q=elaine+riley&pg=PA206|title=Elaine Riley profile|date=October 30, 2009|publisher=Ladies of the Western: Interview with 25 Actresses from the Silent Era to...|isbn=9780786439386|accessdate=November 20, 2013}}</ref>
==Television== Riley appeared in two episodes of ''The Lone Ranger''<ref name=Riley/> and in ''The Lineup'' in an episode broadcast on January 4, 1957.<ref>{{cite news|title=Former City Girl Appears In TV Drama|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2853115/the_evening_review/|agency=The Evening Review|date=January 5, 1957|page=10|via=Newspapers.com|accessdate=July 21, 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref> Riley also appeared as Mildred Stone in an episode of ''The Cisco Kid''. She also appeared in ''Highway Patrol'', Episode 101, "Reformation". She appeared in a ''Superman'' episode "The Atomic Captive" in 1958.
==Later years== She retired from acting in 1960, having more than 70 credits to her name. In 2004, Elaine Riley won the Golden Boot Awards, which honour actors, actresses, and crew members who have made significant contributions to the genre of Western television and movies.<ref name="Elaine">{{cite web|url=http://www.eastliverpoolhistoricalsociety.org/Elainrilact.htm|title=Elaine Riley, actress|publisher=East Liverpool Historical Society| accessdate=November 20, 2013}}</ref> She died on December 7, 2015, aged 98.{{Where|date=January 2016}}<ref>{{cite web|title=ELAINE RILEY (1917- 2015)|date=December 28, 2015|url=http://www.legacy.com/news/celebrity-deaths/notable-deaths/article/elaine-riley-1917-2015|publisher=Legacy|accessdate=December 29, 2015}}</ref>
==Personal life== In 1946, Riley married actor Richard Martin, whom she met on the set of a film.<ref>{{cite news|title=Richard Martin of Newport, 'Chito' of Films, Dies at 75|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-09-05-me-34929-story.html|access-date=July 21, 2015|agency=Los Angeles Times|date=September 5, 1994}}</ref> They only appeared together in one film, ''Rider from Tucson'', from 1950. Their marriage lasted until his death in 1994.<ref name="Riley"/>
==Selected filmography== {{div col}} *''Gildersleeve on Broadway'' (1943) as Model *''Higher and Higher'' (1944) as Bridesmaid *''Show Business'' (1944) as Chorine *''Step Lively'' (1944) as Lois *''Two O'Clock Courage'' (1945) as Cigarette girl *''You Came Along'' (1945) as Showgirl *''The Stork Club'' (1945) as Deb *''Monsieur Beaucaire'' (1946) (uncredited) *''Variety Girl'' (1947) as Cashier *''The Big Clock'' (1948) as Lily Gold *''Beyond Glory'' (1948) as Nurse *''False Paradise'' (1948) as Anne Larson *''Every Girl Should Be Married'' (1948) as Young lady *''Alias Nick Beal'' (1949) as Telephone girl *''The Great Lover'' (1950) as Passenger *''Rider from Tucson'' (1950) as Jane Whipple *''Where Danger Lives'' (1950) as Nurse Bates * ''The Hills of Utah'' (1951) as Karen McQueen *''Sailor Beware'' (1952) as Commentator *''Steel Town'' (1952) as Valerie *..Clipped Wings (1953 film with the Bowery Boys *''The Caddy'' (1953) as Bathing beauty *''Pardners'' (1956) as Dance hall girl *''Wanted Dead or Alive'' (1960) as Panama in "The Partners" episode {{div col end}}
==See also== {{Portal|Biography|Ohio|Film|Television}} * Pin-ups of Yank, the Army Weekly
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0727026|Elaine Riley}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Elaine}} Category:1917 births Category:2015 deaths Category:American film actresses Category:American television actresses Category:People from East Liverpool, Ohio Category:Actresses from Ohio Category:20th-century American actresses Category:Place of death missing Category:Traphagen School of Fashion alumni Category:21st-century American women